Tag: blue cross of idaho

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Client-side job opening: Marketing Communication Specialist

Blue Cross of Idaho has an opening at their corporate headquarters in Meridian for a Marketing Communications Specialist. From the job listing on their website:

Position Description

To execute marketing plans, projects, and materials that support Blue Cross of Idaho’s goals and overall strategic business plan.  Perform a broad variety of outbound related marketing activities and operate within a deadline driven environment.  Manage marketing projects, initiatives, and events from concept to completion with guidance.

Position Requirements

Required Experience:

  • Three years marketing and communications (within a creative agency or corporate marketing setting or public relations agency).

Required Education:

  • Bachelor’s Degree (preferably in marketing, communications, advertising or business-related field)

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs):

Knowledge:

  • Executing marketing strategies
  • Marketing tools and techniques

Skills:

  • Marketing
  • Social Media
  • Development of creative materials
  • Media Buying
  • Verbal & written communication
  • Writing, editing, and proofing
  • Project management
  • Organization
  • Negotiation
  • Detail oriented
  • Presentation
  • Initiative
  • Problem solving
  • Microsoft Word – Intermediate
  • Microsoft Excel – Basic
  • Microsoft Outlook – Basic

Ability to:

  • Work with internal and external staff to manage the design and production of marketing materials including advertising, direct mail, product collateral, and web content
  • Brand, position, and target marketing materials for diverse audiences and market segments
  • Prepare and manage timelines for marketing projects
  • Ensure that all creative materials undergo brand review and adhere to brand guidelines
  • Write and edit complex materials for an audience with varied understanding and/or education
  • Work with sales teams (both direct and indirect channels) to develop supporting materials, activities, and lead generation
  • Work independently
  • Establish rapport and work effectively with all levels of staff, both internally and externally
  • Prioritize multiple projects
  • Meet and deliver on tight deadlines

Full details about the position and how to apply can be found on Blue Cross’ online career portal.

Disclosure: Blue Cross is a client at my day job.

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Client-side job opening: Creative Services Manager

Update: We got word recently that this position has been filled.

Blue Cross of Idaho has an opening for a Creative Services Manager. From the job listing posted on the Idaho Ad Agencies job board:

POSITION PURPOSE:
To determine the best ways for BCI to visually represent the companys identity online, in print, on posters and in all graphic executions, involving development of high-level concepts for design projects. Work with internal and external clients, pitching designs, and understanding client needs. Recruit and manage third party design firms and internal design resources.

Ability to:
Storyboard or translate ideas to designers and develop innovative motion graphics solutions
Lead projects from concept to completion. Apply best practices in user interface and interactive design, including image optimization and site mapping
Make evaluative judgments
Communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing
Train and provide lead responsibilities to more junior employees, to include organizing, prioritizing, and scheduling work assignments

In reading through the job description – and between the lines a bit – this position appears to be part account manager, part project manager, and a hint of creative director all lumped into one nebulous job.

Full details about the position and how to apply are available here.

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Client-Side Job Opening: Marketing Manager

Blue Cross of Idaho has an opening for a Marketing Manager.  From the job listing on Craigslist:

POSITION PURPOSE:
To develop, implement and maintain integrated marketing strategies to meet organizational objectives. Translate the strategic vision into marketing context, delivering customer approval, increased loyalty and consumption. Evaluate customer research, market conditions, competitor data, and implement appropriate marketing plan changes. Manage marketing, advertising and promotional activities, including print, radio, TV, web and other advertising production, receipt and distribution.

MINIMUM POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

Required Experience:

* Five years of experience in all aspects of developing and maintaining marketing strategies including, but not limited to, managing and developing innovative and creative marketing brands and campaigns in all media, utilizing new media marketing tools and techniques.

Full details and how to apply can be found in the original job listing.

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The Realities of Business

The topic comes up from time to time — local agencies doing work for local clients, particularly the larger clients that just so happen to be in the area.

Unfortunately, fairly or not, the fact of the matter is that the larger local clients do not always see the value that a local agency can provide.

Case in point: Blue Cross of Idaho.

Earlier this year, Blue Cross of Idaho chose the Minneapolis office of Weber Shandwick to help launch its new web-based health and well being initiative. The folks over at Red Sky PR first noticed this decision, and made comment about it on their PR Musings Weblog.

Another recent example: Balihoo.

In March, Balihoo named Affect Strategies as their Public Relations Agency of Record. Now, given Balihoo’s focus on large-scale media planning and buying, I can understand this decision. It is in their best interest to work with an agency that can provide the best exposure possible, particularly to media buyers and agencies that buy in large volumes, and a PR agency out of New York is certainly a wise choice. The cynic in me has to wonder, however, how much of this decision was driven by the addition of Michael Browner to their Board of Directors two days prior to the announcement. Pure speculation on my part, but the timing just seems suspect.

So without laboring on too much longer with the same old ‘poor us’ mentality, I’ll pose this question: What do local agencies need to do differently to either attract or retain these types of clients? Is it just a fact of life today’s business environment, or are there there areas that local, or even regional shops can focus on to differentiate themselves?

Now, the same question to those on the client side: What do out-of-town or out-of-state agencies offer that local or regional agencies don’t? Where are the local shops lacking?

Now that I’ve stirred the pot, I’m going to go ahead and duck for a while…

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